The embodiment relates to a motor control apparatus. In particular, the embodiment relates to a motor control apparatus and a method of controlling driving of a motor by the motor control apparatus, in which the motor control apparatus, which controls an electrically-driven motor, can autonomously detect vehicle collision to autonomously control the operating state of the motor.
An electric vehicle refers to a vehicle using a battery and an electric motor without using oil fuel and an engine.
Recently, the restriction on exhaust fumes of the vehicle has been strengthened due to the environmental pollution (pollution) in the USA and Europe, and an oil price is sharply raised, so that the electric vehicle has been spotlighted as a next-generation vehicle. In other words, an electric vehicle employing electric energy, which does not cause pollution, can fundamentally solve environmental problems such as noxious exhaust fumes or noise discharged from an internal combustion engine vehicle causing around 70% of the environmental pollutions. In addition, the electric vehicle can prolong the life span of resources including fossil fuel, such as oil, to several times.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a motor control apparatus of a typical electric vehicle.
Referring to FIG. 1, the motor control apparatus of the electric vehicle includes a battery 10, an inverter 20, and a 3-phase motor 30, and a motor control unit 40.
The inverter 20 performs a switching operation with respect to DC power supplied to the battery 10 so that AC power can be applied to the 3-phase motor 30. The motor control unit 40 controls the switching operation of the inverter 20.
In addition, the inverter 20 turns on or turns off six switching devices in order to convert DC power into AC power. For example, if the torque required by a driver is generated, the motor control unit 40 calculates a current instruction value actually applied to the 3-phase motor 30, and determines on/off operations of the six switching devices of the inverter according to the current instruction value.
Meanwhile, in general, when controlling most AC motors, such as induction motors or synchronous motors, supplied with 3-phase power, independent torque control is performed by dividing a 3-phase stator current into a flux component and a torque component.
For example, since a large-capacity 3-phase motor used in a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle requires exact torque control, the motor is controlled by identically applying the above scheme to the motor. In this case, two current components of the flux component and the torque component pass through a current controller and then allow power in the form of a voltage to be applied to the 3-phase motor through the inverter.
As described above, the motor control apparatus mainly includes the inverter 20 and the motor control unit 40 to control the switching operation of switching devices constituting the inverter 20. The motor control unit 40 controls the operation of the inverter 20 according to the operating states of the inverter 20 or the 3-phase motor 30, so that power is selectively applied to the 3-phase motor 30.
In addition, the typical motor control apparatus monitors error signals through an external electronic control unit (ECU) to cut off power supplied to the 3-phase motor 30, thereby ensuring safety.
The information on the collision state of the vehicle is transferred to the motor control unit 40 through an airbag control unit for passenger protection or a vehicle control unit for the overall control of the vehicle, and the motor control unit 40 selectively cuts off the power based on the information.
However, if the collision information of the vehicle is not transferred to the motor control unit 40 due to serous collision or the erroneous operation of the ECU providing the information, the motor control unit 40 continuously outputs a PWM signal used to drive the 3-phase motor 30. Accordingly, the vehicle is moved due to the continuous driving of the 3-phase motor 30, so that the risk of the driver may be increased.